Did you know that the sun entered Makara rashi (the zodiac sign of Capricorn) over 3 weeks ago? That is literally what Makara Sankranti means. Yes, Makara Sankranti was on the 21st/22nd December. And it has been that way every year during our lifetimes.

December 21st was also the Winter solstice, which marks the start of Uttarayan – the annual tilt in the earth’s axis towards the sun (to be accurate, the northern hemisphere tilts towards the sun, and the southern hemisphere tilts away. You can observe this yourself in how the path of the sun changes day by day.

So, if Makara Sankranti and Uttarayan have already happened weeks ago, why are we celebrating them today?

To answer this, we have to journey back in time, nearly 2000 years to about 100-300AD. If you don’t want to take the scenic route, here is the short version.

The seasons change faster than the sun can complete a circle around the zodiac – by about 20 mins each year!

The seasons change a bit earlier each year with respect to the sidereal (based on the fixed stars) calendar, at the rate of around 20 mins each year, or a day every 72 years. But the solar calendar follows the seasons, so it keeps advancing every year relative to the sidereal calendar. Our Indian calendars follow a lunar-plus-solar system. Around 2000 years ago, the 1st day of Makara was the same according to both the Solar calendar and the Sidereal (fixed stars) calendar. It was the day of the winter solstice and the start of Uttarayan. This day was widely celebrated as a seasonal, harvest festival. Since then, the seasons have been advancing a day every 70 or so years until it is now a full 23 days ahead. So the solar calendar is now 23 days ahead of the sidereal calendar. But we still celebrate this festival as per the sidereal calendar, which is now 23 days behind.

Here is the longer version.

Usage of zodiac (sidereal) calendars became widespread around 2000 years ago.

The first few centuries AD was a period of great advances in astronomy in India. The fundamental principles and methods of calculation had been known for centuries previous to that – there is historical evidence of sophisticated calendars from at least the time of the Buddha and Mahavira (around 500BC) and strong indications of even earlier dates. But the first few centuries after Christ saw social and technological changes that put calendars and time measurement in an important role. Many of our calendar systems originate from this period. For example, the Shaka Samvatsara (calendar).

Ok, but when are you getting to the point about Makara Sankranti?
I’m almost there.

The seasons line up almost exactly with the zodiac-based calendar. Almost, but not quite.

People have celebrated Uttarayan for millennia – it meant the passing of peak winter, with longer days ahead and Spring on its way. It was a seasonal festival and was celebrated by observing the sun.

From the 1st century AD onwards, sidereal (zodiac based) calendars started becoming more and more integrated into people’s lives, and they started measuring days, and hours and minutes (or rather muhurtam, ghati, vighati, etc.). The Uttarayan celebrations became associated with a particular date on the calendar – much like Christmas is always celebrated on December 25th.

In 13,000 years we will be celebrating Christmas (December 25th) in mid-summer.

Mostly, this was not a problem. The people devising the calendars were sophisticated enough to adjust for the additional 5 days (365 days not 360), the leap year (365 and a quarter days), a host of other things to keep in step with the seasons.

But the calendar did not adjust for the precession of the earth’s axis (Google it!). Though it was known at the time, and astronomers and astrologers routinely adjusted for it in their calculations, it just wasn’t worth introducing this complication in the regular calendar. It didn’t make much difference over small time periods.

The earth’s spin is titled relative to the sun. And this tilt doesn’t stay pointing the same way all the time. The tilt itself spins around (picture a spinning top gently making circles on the floor).

The earth’s tilt changes ever so slightly every year, and takes around 26,000 years to do a full circle. The sun (as seen from the earth) completes a full circle of the zodiac every year. But because of this change in the earth’s tilt, the seasons change slightly faster than that – by about 20 minutes every year, or a full day every 72 years.

Over almost 2000 years, Uttarayan has advanced by 23 days relative to the solar calendar, but the Indian system uses the sidereal calendar (based on the fixed stars).

As per the sidereal (fixed stars) calendar, today is the 1st day of Makara and hence today is Makara Sankranti. But even Uttarayan? The actual northwards-movement (Uttarayan) started 23 days ago, no matter what calendar we follow. We celebrate Uttarayan today because we have become accustomed to celebrating Uttarayan on Makara Sankranti day!

By the year 10,000 AD, the month of Makara will be at the beginning of summer! I am sure we will have made some adjustments to our calendars by then to make things line up again. After all, human beings are nothing if not ingenious.

]]>http://ekamsat.net/2017/01/14/makara-sankranti/feed/2What’s the point of a guru?http://ekamsat.net/2016/07/20/whats-the-point-of-a-guru/
http://ekamsat.net/2016/07/20/whats-the-point-of-a-guru/#commentsWed, 20 Jul 2016 00:55:46 +0000http://ekamsat.net/?p=27 Read More Read More]]>

अज्ञान तिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाञ्जन शलाकया
चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः
I bow to the guru, who brought the kajal of knowledge to my eyes
That were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.

I went to the temple yesterday. I wasn’t specifically planning to, but things worked out that way. Which was nice as it was Guru Purnima.

Baaghi – martial arts masala movie with guru-shishya plot

Later in the evening, we watched the Hindi movie Baaghi on TV. The 2016 version, not to be confused with the 1990 or 2000 ones (seriously, why is this name so popular they make a movie every decade?). I enjoyed the movie in a didn’t-expect-too-much sort of way. Kalarippayatt, lovely backdrops of Kerala and Thailand, saving the girl and finally, avenging the guru’s murder and carrying on his tradition. The only thing I didn’t like was the way they put in meaningless nonsense for the Malayalam words: the board on the platform at Kollam station, and the magazine with Shraddha Kapoor on the cover. Shoddy direction, for a big budget movie.

I wasn’t expecting the movie to have a guru-shishya sub-plot, but it was appropriate, today being Guru Purnima. But that got me thinking about the whole concept of a Guru, and what it means these days.

Offering spiritual guidance is becoming an ever growing enterprise

Investment bankers are selling their Ferraris and becoming monks or life-coaches. And making more money than ever! Gurus and god-men and -women are running enormous commercial operations. All sorts of groups – exploitative cults, movements with sci-fi theologies – are able to attract intelligent people.

Our scriptures (and those of many other faiths) are clear about a few things:

The search for the underlying reality – who you are, what is the universe and what is your relationship with the universe – is an individual journey. No one else can do it for you.

But having a guide is an immense help. Some traditions even say the journey is impossible without a guide.

Conversely, having the wrong guide is immensely harmful. So it is important to evaluate the worth of the guru before accepting them.

Check out the guru well, before you accept them

There are dozens of books or sages who can be quoted in support of these statements. Here are a few dohas of sant Kabir, for example. In short, we should not silence our critical thinking faculty in the desire for a guru. Follow someone only to the extent they are worthy of being followed. Desire for a quick buck blinds our critical thinking and leads us into the hands of the scamster; desire for spiritual guidance blinds our critical thinking and leads us to the deluded or fraudulent guru.

]]>http://ekamsat.net/2016/07/20/whats-the-point-of-a-guru/feed/4Why do people fall into cults?http://ekamsat.net/2016/07/20/why-do-people-fall-into-cults/
http://ekamsat.net/2016/07/20/why-do-people-fall-into-cults/#commentsWed, 20 Jul 2016 00:50:23 +0000http://ekamsat.net/?p=40 Read More Read More]]>This is a continuation of my previous post, What’s the point of a Guru?

I have spoken to many followers of various religious/spiritual organisations and leaders (both Hindu and others), and these are the most common reasons why people were drawn to the organisation.

“The guru has deep understanding of all the world religions and their underlying oneness.”

That is excellent. There are many very knowledgeable and erudite people, and we should learn what they have to teach.

This is no different than learning from our school teachers, or learning music or dance. All these teachers play the role of guru in specific fields, and we should give them the respect due to a guru. But we don’t make the mistake of assuming that our school teacher is a superior human being, someone who can guide us in all aspects of life. We respect their expertise in specific fields, but accept that they have the same human nature with its flaws as anyone else. It is the same with experts in theology, scripture etc.

“The guru has a way of explaining things, explaining life, that struck a chord with me.”

There are many who reach a realisation of the inter-connectedness of all existence, and are able to communicate this either verbally, or through mystic experiences. They may even think that they are fully realised beings, and set themselves up as gurus. But they are still subject to desire and fear like anyone else. In fact, it is often the ego-boost of being a teacher that drives them to this. They are deluded rather than outright frauds, at least when they start out in their career as gurus.

Faith works wonders. But the interesting thing is, faith works its wonders irrespective of the object of faith, to an extent. Because, with faith come a host of other good qualities: calm perseverance, letting go of obsession with how things will turn out, working with the grain of life rather than against, tuning in to the field of opportunities. It is these qualities that are at work; and this is not dependent on who it is you have faith in.

Does that mean it doesn’t matter who we follow, who we choose as our guide? Not at all – it matters enormously! All of this is just step zero in the journey: packing the bags, as it were. When we actually set out on the journey, all of this equipment – the perseverance, the relaxed intensity and all – will be tested and developed to their fullest. Having the right guide is crucial. It is better to not have a guru and make only cautious, slow steps, rather than make haste following the wrong guru.

You may know or have read of people who get sucked into exploitative cults, and will not leave even though it is obvious to everyone around them: because they think it is their leader who is creating all these changes in their lives. Which brings us to the next point.

“I feel there is someone to take care of my life.”

Many go to a guru as a means of offloading their personal responsibility for their lives. Many gurus encourage this dependence. They are dangerous and should be steered well clear of.

For someone beaten down by the troubles of life, it is natural to want a refuge. And it is fine as a temporary respite. But for people offering such pastoral – whether that is a religious organisation, psychotherapy or whatever – the aim should be to get the person back on their feet and able to take responsibility for their life. After all, the word pastor means ‘shepherd’ in Latin. And it is not a worthy goal for anyone to become sheep in the hands of a shepherd.

But far too many organisations actually encourage and cultivate lifelong dependence: everything good in your life is because of the blessings of the guru, anything bad in your life can be overcome through more faith and ‘investment’ in the guru. Anyone who panders to this attitude and encourages this dependence, is not worthy of being a guru. They are either exploitative frauds or narcissists (or both). Either way, stay well clear.

So, how can we determine if a religious/spiritual organisation or leader is worth following? Through some common-sense questions.

]]>http://ekamsat.net/2016/07/20/why-do-people-fall-into-cults/feed/2Kabir on guruhttp://ekamsat.net/2016/07/20/kabir-on-guru/
http://ekamsat.net/2016/07/20/kabir-on-guru/#commentsWed, 20 Jul 2016 00:42:04 +0000http://ekamsat.net/?p=45 Read More Read More]]>This is a continuation of my previous post, What’s the point of a Guru?

गुरु गोबिंद दोऊ खड़े, का के लागूं पाय।
बलिहारी गुरु आपणे, गोबिंद दियो मिलाय॥
I see both guru and God; who should I bow to first?
The guru is the saviour who took me to God!

Watch out for the wrong type of guide, though

जो गुरु ते भ्रम न मिटे, भ्रान्ति न जिसका जाय।
सो गुरु झूठा जानिये, त्यागत देर न लाय॥
The guru who is still deluded and in the grip of desire
Know him to be unworthy, and make haste to leave him.

गुरु कीजिए जानि के, पानी पीजै छानि ।
बिना विचारे गुरु करे, परे चौरासी खानि॥
Examine the guru before accepting, as you filter water before drinking.
Follow a guru without thinking, and you will keep falling back into ignorance.

]]>http://ekamsat.net/2016/07/20/kabir-on-guru/feed/3Checklist for the Seekerhttp://ekamsat.net/2016/07/20/checklist-for-the-seeker/
http://ekamsat.net/2016/07/20/checklist-for-the-seeker/#commentsWed, 20 Jul 2016 00:40:41 +0000http://ekamsat.net/?p=42 Read More Read More]]>This is a continuation of my previous post, What’s the point of a Guru?

Sounds disrespectful doesn’t it, testing a guru? But we have a duty to ourselves to do exactly that. We didn’t develop the faculty for critical thought over millions of years of evolution, just to switch it off and blindly follow anyone. And this is not just me saying so – I have it on excellent authority. Sant Kabir is just one of many great sages who have explicitly asked us to exercise judgement before accepting anyone as Guru.

So, without further ado, here is my checklist for the seeker. These points are intended as warning signs that something is not quite right. They do not necessarily prove that the guru is a fraud.

#1. Does the Guru (or Leader, Perfect Master, Father/Mother, Chairman of the Board, or whatever title is adopted by the chief man or woman) live a luxurious lifestyle?

Ok, so being spiritually advanced doesn’t have to mean living in poverty. But remember that these leaders are essentially funded by their followers. So if they are living a vastly more luxurious lifestyle than their average follower can afford, something is not quite right. It at least opens up the possibility that they are hooked to material comforts and luxury, and are quite willing to live it up at their followers’ expense.

Here are some common justifications people give for this.

“He needs the luxury car, air-conditioned life, and first class travel (or private jet) because he works so much harder than everyone else”, or “he can do so much more to help mankind if he doesn’t have to spend time on menial tasks”.

“She is preaching austerity while living in luxury herself, only because she is completely ‘above it all’, while you are still in the grip of attachment”.

Perhaps. Stranger things have happened. But how can you be sure he or she is not just hooked to material comforts? It should at the very least, trigger a little bit of doubt in the mind.

#2. Does the guru sit at the head of a vast commercial empire? Are there religious institutions, schools, hospitals, yoga, health, self-help institutions?

“So what’s wrong with that?”, you may ask. “The guru is doing all this to benefit humanity”. Of course there is nothing wrong. It is possible that the guru is a one-in-a-million, a rishi like king Janaka. But more often than not, the running of all these institutions requires a degree of compromise with the ways of the world that does not sit well with someone with the highest ethical standards.

#3. Do his followers become more emotionally dependent on the guru over the course of time? Do they spend more and more of their free time with this organisation?

Creating perpetual dependence is typical behaviour of all exploitative organisations from payday loan companies to drug-peddlers to peddlers of spiritual solace.

#4. Do the followers think that they are somehow privileged, and everyone else is losing out on life? And it is hence their duty to pass on the message and “save” them?

It is typical cult behaviour, to create an “in” group mentality and position themselves as superior to everyone else.

#5. Do their relationships with their family and friends (outside of the organisation) become richer and deeper, or are they becoming increasingly monochrome and limited by their organisation?

This too is classic cult behaviour, isolating people from all outside influence that may stop the follower from being gradually sucked into the organisation completely.

This is just a small list of common-sense questions from my personal experience. It is not intended to be exhaustive or authoritative.

For the guru-less, the universe as guru

So then, what if there is no suitable guru around, what happens to our spiritual journey? Nothing too bad, actually. It just means it is not the correct moment for a guru in human form. Life is still offering up opportunities every instant for spiritual growth. With respect in our hearts for all gurus, we can just carry on with life itself, the universe, as our guru. Dakshinaamurti as the universal guru will guide us.

गुरवे सर्वलोकानां भिषजे भवरोगिनां
निधये सर्वविद्यानां दक्षिणामूर्तये नमः
I bow to Dakshinaamurti, guru to all,
The cure for the ills of creation, the treasure-trove of knowledge.

]]>http://ekamsat.net/2016/07/20/checklist-for-the-seeker/feed/3Brexit! Omigosh!http://ekamsat.net/2016/06/28/brexit-omigosh/
http://ekamsat.net/2016/06/28/brexit-omigosh/#respondTue, 28 Jun 2016 22:01:39 +0000http://ekamsat.net/?p=24 Read More Read More]]>Brexit may push the world into recession says this economist, along with many others making dire predictions for the U.K. and the world.

It MAY, of course. But is it likely to?

We have never been very far from the brink of recession in the past 8 years. A massive inter-governmental act of printing money, together with a collective suspension of disbelief in the market ‘for fear of finding something worse’ is what is keeping us going. Sure, Brexit may be the nudge that pushes us into recession. Maybe.

Of course, it isn’t much fun writing or reading an article that says there will be short term uncertainty, but things will settle down shortly and the world will carry on.

Here are a few predictions using my crystal ball:

The British public will realise the EU wasn’t the drain on the British tax payer they thought it was.

And this divorce isn’t automatically going to make Britain Great again. And conversely, staying in the EU wasn’t what was blocking the Greatness.

Farage will be dumped in the garage. The UKIP and others will not have any bogeymen left to blame and will crumble under the glare of expectations.

Boris Johnson will become PM. And will leave office in ignominy.

Scotland will ask for another referendum on the UK (not much of a prediction, it’s being talked about already).

Scotland will not leave the UK, because the UK will come back into the EU.

The EU as a group will get tougher on immigration.

No other countries will leave the EU because of social reasons (e.g. immigration). Countries may leave due to economic pressures and inability to keep up with German discipline.

Here is proof that I voted in the EU Referendum. That’s right, there is no finger-stamping here. Also no police detail, no elaborate fraud-prevention measures. And it’s not because people don’t care about Brexit – all elections are conducted in this nonchalant manner: the UK general election, elections to the European parliament (Ok, that IS something few people actually care about).

Elections in India are impressive for their scale and the feat of management and co-ordination involved in making them fraud- and violence-free. But British elections are impressive because they are an exact contrast.

You go into your local polling centre, usually (wo)manned by two nice ladies who take your name and address, look you up in the register, and give you the ballot paper: regular office-supply stationery with the voting options printed. You walk over to a table and mark your choice with a pencil, fold the paper and put it into a box that could have been bought from any office supply stationery store.

The only security features I can see are (a) you (or someone claiming to be you, for there is no Id check) can’t vote more than once, (b) there are always two people staffing the polling station, so they keep an eye on each other. There may be CCTV cameras as well, I can’t tell.

Or the related phrase ehi passiko in Pali, which means something like come-and-see-ability. In other words, spiritual laws can be experienced and understood. They are more like the Laws of Physics than

The Buddha gave many insightful teachings into the nature of reality, and how to live in step with the eternal laws of the universe and our own psyche (धर्म). But this statement – come and see for yourself – is no less important than any other.

Direct knowledge is what counts

The greatest spiritual teachers, from the Vedic Rishis to more recent ones like Guru Nanak, Ramakrishna, Ramana Maharshi and others have emphasized the fact that everything they teach can and should be verified by the students in their own lives, through their own experience. It is not just a matter of belief. For belief or faith are but useful stepping stones on the way to actual experience. It helps us to stay the course, and persevere through setbacks. Faith (श्रद्धा) coupled with focused, persevering effort (निष्ठा) is the key to success, but it is not the goal in itself.

What is real, is not dependent on faith or dogma

We all have a very direct understanding of the force of gravity even if we have never heard of the Laws of Gravity, of Newton or Einstein. Because we experience it every moment of our lives, use it, guard against its dangers etc. It works, whether we believe in it or not.

Such a direct experience of even more fundamental laws is possible – that is what these men and women tell us. These are called सनातन धर्म (sanatana dharma) – eternal laws of the universe – in the Indian tradition. Sanatana Dharma does not mean the Hindu religion, or any religion at all. It is not denominational, or restricted to one group of people or geography.

एकम् सत् विप्राः बहुधा वदन्ति There is one reality. The wise have described it in different ways.